Tear-strip type container and reclosure therefor



Nov. 4, 1947. D, OR B RH 2,430,035

YEAR-STRIP TYPE CONTAINER AND RECLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 11, 1944 11w TOR. lllllllllllillllll M Y 24 1 Z y Patented Nov. 4, 1941 Mam- 3,5 f, rent-swan 'rrrs comma AND S PATENT 1 OFFICE BEOLOSURE THEREFOR Ivan D; Thornburgh, LeoniafNr 1L, assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Atalanta becember n, 1944, SeriaLNo. 567,862

The present invention relates are metal air tight tearing strip container or can having an interior collar member secured within "the body wall in an air-tight hermetic Joint and has particular reference to a container oi this type which can be reclosed by the released cover i'ormed for snapping engagement with the collar in an air-tight or hermetic seal after the container is opened by removal of the tearing strip.

The usual hermetically sealed tearing strip con-' tamer when once opened by removal of the tearing strip can only be re-covered, as contradistinguished from rescaled, by the detached can end or cover. As a result of this condition there are no restrictions, or at least very few restric tions against free circulation of air in and through the product remaining in the can. When the can is opened air comes in contact with the product and this air is present and cannot ordinarily be removed. For many products the loosely fitting cover oi the can is adequate especially when the remaining product is quickly consumed. Some products such for example as cofl'ee, dried milk and other powdered dairy products will keep much better if additional air .is prevented from circulating into and through that portion of the product which has not been used and which remains in the opened can. In other words, an

,air-tightreclosure for cans ot this general type is desirable and the present invention contemplates an improved can construction which provides for a simple and eiilcient air-tight reclosure without impairing in any way the emciency of an easily opened hermetically sealed can.

An object of the present invention is the provision of. an improved construction for a tearing strip container having an interior collar wherein in addition to the usual air-tight sealing of the .can when itis initially closed on its contained and cover there is also provided a-proper cooperation between the-removed cover and the collar of the opened can,,thus embodying the'additional feature of an air-tight reclosure. Still another object is the provision of an easily opened tearing strip collar container wherein the removed double gasket lined cover has a'positive thereby insuring a continued air-tight sealing reclosure without impairing the ease of reopening of the can.

Numerous other objects and advantages or the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, tak-,

en in connection with the accompanying drawin'gs, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figurel is a perspective view of a tearing stripcontainer embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional detail of the closed container as viewed along the section line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and g I Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the tight seal reclosing position. The present invention contemplates a container having a body II and end closures l2 secured to the'body in doubleseams l3. The novelty of the container of the present invention is associated with its upper or top end while any suitable bottom end may be used. Accordingly the upper end is shown in some detail in the accompanying drawing.

Adjacent the top and just below the upper end seam l3 the body wall ii is cut through with a pair of parallel score lines. These include a lower score line l5 and an upper score line l6 setting of! a tearing strip l1. At the side seam of the container, the tearing strip terminates in an extended tongue is which provides for engagement of the opening key. The body wall above the score line l6 merges into the double seam and a sealing gasket or lining compound I9 located in the usual sealing gasket channel is interposed between the body and cover parts in a conventional manner.

A collar 2| is located in the can body ll being positioned adjacent the top end of the body. This snap-on continuous engagement with the collar,

opened container with its detached cover in air-.-

bead 23. A suitable sealing compound can be used.

between the beads to obtain the desired air-tight Joint or the lower edge of the collar all of the way aroundjmay be soldered to the body wall as at 24.

The collar 2| extends up in close engagement with the body wall to a position just above the lower score line l5 when the collar wall bends inwardly at a rounded annular edge 25, into a conis cal wall 28 which extends at about 30 from the horizontal. The upper portion of the conical wall terminates in an outward, open reclosure curl 21. This construction of collar provides a smooth mouth for the container when opened and also assists in the desired reclosure as will be evident as the description proceeds.\

The top end closure or cover I2 when in seamed position extends downwardly inside the body and inside the double seam l3 to a point below the upper score line It where it bends inwardly in a curved annulus 3|. At this annulus the cover wall then extends inwardly and downwardly in an inverted conical wall 32. The bottom of the conical wall 32 is positioned Just below the center of the collar curl 21 and is thence doubled back on itself in a sharp bend 33. The wall 32 thereupon merges into a-reclosure shelf section 84 which lies closely against and on top of the conical wall. Above, the shelf section 34 merges into an annular arched bead 35 which provides an annular groove 36 on the underside of the cover. This constitutes an inwardly spaced reclosure gasket channel. A sealing gasket or compound lining 31 preferably is contained within the groove 36. It will be thus apparent that the gasket IQ of the double seam and the gasket 31 of the groove 38 constitute dual gasket sealing regions of the can cover.

At the inside, the arched bead 35 of the cover merges into a central cover panel 38. The groove 36 is so positioned inwardly of the double seam of the cover as to be directly above the collar reclosure curl 21 when the cover is in place on the body. When the cover I2 is first seamed onto the body I l in the form as shown, the reclosure curl is embedded in the gasket 3i of the cover groove 36 but this is merely a preferred form. Obviously it is not necessary to have a seal at this place in the can until it is to be reclosed after opening. In such a construction, however, the container is doubly sealed, there being air-tight joints at both gasket sections l9 and 31.

When the container is opened by removal of the tearing strip ll which may be done in the usual manner as by application of a key to the extended tongue it, the cover 82 together with the top portion of the body wall ii between the double seam and the top score line may be lifted from the container. In the event that only a portion of the product is consumed the container may be reclosed merely by application of the removed cover unit. In applying the cover a slight rotation as the cover is pressed down, fully engages the annular bent edge 33 around the engaged periphery of the open reclosure collar curl 21 causing a slight yielding action of the curl as the cover fully locks under the collar. When so engaged the cover, according to the variation shown, is returned to the same position it occupied on the can body prior to opening. In this position the reclosure curl 21 is again embedded in the gasket 31 of the cover and an air-tight seal is thus effected between the opened can body and the applied reclosure cover.

' 4 This seal for reclcsing oi the container prevents circulation of air into and through the product and only the air which has been trapped in the can when it is reclosed again is present in contact with the product. For many products which would deteriorate by oxidation where a large quantity 01' air freely circulates through the product, the presence of a small amount of dead air confined in the head space or the can above the product i negligible. It is for such products that the present can construction is useful I and has been perfected.

Such a, can may be reopened and reclosed a number of times, it only being necessary in removing the reclosure cover to pull the annular attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In an air-tight sheet metal container capable of air-tight reclosure, a container body having score lines defining a, removable tearing strip for opening the container, a collar located inside of said body and hermetically sealed therein and at the top extending inwardly at; an angle to form a conical Wall back of said tearing strip, said wall terminating in an outer reclosure curl, a cover having a primary sealing gasket channel and an inwardly spaced reclosure gasket channel double seamed to said container body and extending downwardly and inwardly below the double seem as an inverted conical wall, the lower end of the inverted wall being doubled back on itself to provide a reenforced reclosure shelf section surrounding said reclosure gasket channel, and sealing gaskets in the cover channels, the gasket in said primary sealing channel being enclosed in said double seam and providing an air-tight permanent joint between the body and cover and the gasket in said reclosure channel providing an air-tight joint between the cover and said reclosure curl for reclosing the container after it has been opened by removal of said tearing strip, the shelf section in said cover engaging under and yieldably surrounding said reclosure curl to embed the latter in said reclosure gasket in an air-tight reclosure joint; when the released cover is applied to the opened container.

2. In an air-tight sheet metal container capable of air-tight reclosure, a container body having score lines defining a removable tearing strip for opening the container, a collar located inside of said body and hermetically secured thereto, said collar extending inwardly at an angle to form an inwardly and upwardly extending conical wall spaced inwardly from said tearing strip, said wall terminating in a reclosure curl spaced inwardly from said body wall, a cover having dual gasket sealing regions consisting of a primary sealing gasket channel and a reclosure sealing gasket channel spaced inwardly substantiall the same distance from said outer body wall as said reclosure curl, said cover being secured to said container body and extending downwardly and inwardly at an angle to form a conical wall, said 5 conical wall thence extending upwardly and being curved inwardly to form said reclosure gasket channel, the outer wall of said reclosure channel surrounding and exteriorly engaging the outer periphery of said body collar curl as a reolosure after the container has been opened by removal of said tearing strip, and sealing gaskets in the cover channels, the gasket in said primary sealing channel constituting an air-tight permanent joint between said body and cover and the gasket in said reolosure channel having embedded engagement with said collar reolosure curl in an air-tight joint for reclosing the container after it has been opened.

IVAN D. THORNBURGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Peck May 16, 1944 Hothersall Nov. 27, 1934 Young May 25, 1926 Reese Aug. 8, 1944 Krummel Jan. 13, 1914 Draper Nov. 7, 1899 

